Fire near Colorado-New Mexico border reaches more than 1,000 acres
Crews have contained portions of a fire burning near the Colorado-New Mexico border Thursday that grew to over 1,000 acres since Sunday amid dry, windy conditions.
The Schwachheim Fire, burning near Lake Dorothy State Wildlife Area southeast of Trinidad, slowed its growth Wednesday, which allowed crews to achieve 36% containment on the south and southwest sides of the fire. But “critical” fire weather expected Thursday could bring wind gusts between 35 and 40 miles per hour, according to the Colorado Incident Management Team.
Northern parts of the fire are harder for firefighters to access due to rugged terrain and steep topography.
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Las Animas County, where drought conditions are classified as “severe” or “extreme,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, is under Stage 2 fire restrictions, which include a total ban on outdoor fires. That includes the towns of Trinidad, Aguilar, El Moro, Cokedale, Jansen and Hoehne. A red flag warning has also been issued.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a verbal disaster declaration Monday to open up state resources to support response, recovery and mitigation efforts. That includes additional engines and crews, aerial resources, and incident management personnel.
The Hoehne Fire Protection District and the Raton Fire Department began fighting the fire Sunday. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Lake Dorothy State Wildlife Area is closed and a flight restriction is in effect above the fire. No evacuations have been issued, but Las Animas County residents can sign up to receive emergency alerts.
Colorado’s 2025-26 winter broke the previous record for highest average temperature by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The state also saw below-average snowfall, with snowpack in the mountains at its lowest levels in more than 40 years.
Hotter, drier conditions in Colorado have stressed water supplies, made the state’s forests more vulnerable to insects and diseases, and greatly increased wildfire risk. The three largest wildfires in Colorado history all occurred in 2020, and the state’s 20 biggest fires on record have all occurred in the past 20 years.
